Larry Mantle discusses the latest on the push for healthcare reform. Then, he will talk about drugs designed to treat ADD and Alzheimer’s increasingly being used by college students, professors, writers and others to boost performance. Next, an update on Iran, and finally he will discuss the book, "Tattoo Machine: Tall Tales, True Stories, and My Life in Ink."
Health care moves forward
House Democrats reached a shaky peace with the party's conservatives, paving the way for a vote in September on sweeping health care legislation. And Bipartisan Senate negotiators report progress on a bill to extend coverage to 95 percent of all Americans. Some of the compromises include exempting more businesses from paying penalties for not insuring employees. Can these compromises really lead to a bill that has a chance of passing in the fall? Will the resulting bill be so full of compromises that millions of Americans are left without suitable healthcare?
Gail Chaddock, Congressional Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor
Shana Alex Lavarreda, Director of Health Insurance Studies at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Juicing on smart drugs
Drugs designed to treat Attention Deficit Disorder and Alzheimer’s are increasingly being used by college students, professors, writers and others to boost brain performance and concentration. Do drugs like Ritalin, Adderrall and Provigil really make you smarter? Is juicing on smart drugs the new doping? If so, what should be done about it?
Dr. Gary Small, Professor of Psychiatry at the Semel Institute and Director of UCLA’s Center on Aging
Continued unrest in Iran
Thousands of protesters gathered in a Tehran cemetery today to mourn the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman killed in the demonstrations that followed Iran's disputed presidential election. Afterward, protesters defied government orders by gathering at one of the city's mosques. Earlier this week, opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi called for more protests, as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to be sworn in for a second term on August 5. Larry Mantle finds out the latest on the continued unrest in Iran.
Guests
Reza Aslan, columnist at thedailybeast.com and author of "How To Win A Cosmic War: God Globalization and The End of The War On Terror"
Hossein Hedjazi, producer and host of a show on "Pars TV"
Siamek Kalhor, Host at KIRN 670am Radio Iran LA!, and local Iranian businessman
Hot Ink
Whether it is to mark camaraderie or rebellion, tattoos have had an interesting relationship with American subculture. In his book "Tattoo Machine: Tall tales, True Stories, and My Life in Ink" (Spiegel & Grau July 2009), Jeff Johnson unveils the world of art, nerves, drugs and commerce. In his eighteen years as a tattoo artist the co-owner of The Sea Tramp Tattoo Company, the oldest tattoo parlor in America, Johnson has seen all sorts of characters looking to get inked. Larry talks to Jeff Johnson and local tattoo artists about what makes people want to get a tattoo and how tattoo's have become a part of American culture.
Jeff Johnson, tattoo artist and author, "Tattoo Machine: Tall tales, True Stories, and My Life in Ink"
Adam Portillo, All American Tattoo, in Fullerton
Zach Johnson, Shogun Tattoo Studio, in Pasadena